No sympathy
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
Few TV events have drawn viewers like Tuesday’s debate between U.S. presidential nominees Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, who went tête-à-tête for the first time since Harris began her campaign. The event drew a whopping 67.1M viewers, making it the most-watched American TV broadcast in the past four years — outside of the Super Bowl, that is.
LPGA
⛳ The Cup runneth over
The GIST: The Solheim Cup began in Gainesville, Virginia, yesterday, capping off months of hard work by the LPGA to level up the biennial tournament. While the last stateside event drew a record 130K fans in 2021, the LPGA has garnered more ticket interest, corporate partners, and TV coverage than ever before, positioning the tourney to break some records. Who doesn’t love tee?
The tournament: Established in 1990, the Solheim Cup — similar to the men’s Ryder Cup — pits 12 top golfers from the LPGA and the Ladies’ European Tour (LET) against each other across three days of competition. The current title belongs to Team Europe, which is chasing a fourth straight championship after its triumph in Spain last year.
The tickets: The LPGA expects this year’s Cup will surpass 2021’s attendance and ticket revenue, largely thanks to its SeatGeek partnership. This allowed the LPGA to list tickets on the platform a year before and offered unprecedented ticketing data access, meaning the tour could adjust prices in real time to maximize revenue, which is projected to be around 4x higher than any previous LPGA event.
The coverage: Due to the time difference, the Cup airs almost exclusively on the Golf Channel when it takes place in Europe, but this year’s coverage will span NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. A record six hours of weekend play will air on linear cable, up from 3.5 hours in 2021. Weekend plans confirmed.
The partnerships: More fan interest in the Cup means more brand involvement, too. The event renewed with Rolex, Ping, and Hilton, while also adding Virginia Tourism and Skyscanner this year. The addition of new partners has led to a 200% revenue increase, per Front Office Sports.
- Experiences company Legends — which signed on with the LPGA last April — is also handling the on-site merchandise experience at its first LPGA event. It will offer leading U.S. and European golf brands, with popular labels like Barstool Sports, Lululemon, and New Era also available.
Lingering questions: The Solheim Cup’s success is a culmination of factors — golf’s profile is rising as more women pick up clubs and shows like Full Swing buoy international tourneys. However, the event only happens every two years, leaving us to wonder how the LPGA can turn this hype into a year-round phenomenon — especially when its sponsors already bank up to 400% ROI. Looking for another gimme.
Together With Columbia University
⬆️ Find your leg up
Looking to get ahead in your sports career? Columbia University knows just the place to start. Their Sports Management Master’s program will host its fifth annual Sports Management Conference in NYC on October 10th, and you’re cordially invited.
Wondering what the Sports Management Conference is like? Think this newsletter, but IRL.
- Some of the sharpest minds in the biz, like NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, will discuss what’s next for front offices — and you know the women’s sports renaissance will take center stage.
It’s the perfect place to nerd out with your fellow sports fanatics — and to gain some intel for your career’s next steps. Reserve your spot, then polish your resume and practice your handshake.
🎉 ESPN announces historic regular season WNBA viewership
With a little over one week left in the 2024 WNBA regular season, ESPN announced Wednesday that it's already the most-watched regular season ever across its platforms. Its telecasts averaged 1.2M viewers, a 170% jump YoY, while studio show WNBA Countdown averaged 508K viewers, a 113% increase from the show’s total broadcasts last season.
👀 NWSL GMs discuss drastic shift in league culture as a result of player reform policies
On Tuesday, ESPN published insights from an anonymous survey of all 14 NWSL general managers (GM). They unanimously acknowledged that the league has undergone a drastic accountability shift since uncovering systemic abuse in 2022, with many arguing “the pendulum has swung too far the other way.”
- In response, NWSLPA chief Meghann Burke said it was “disingenuous” for GMs to publicly support improved protections for players while privately claiming players have too much power, something she has heard behind closed doors for years. No sympathy.
🚧 Golden State Valkyries share plans for new locker room and practice facility
WNBA expansion team Golden State Valkyries shared initial plans and renderings for its luxurious locker room at Chase Center and huge practice facility in Oakland yesterday. The team has already broken ground at both locations and expects them to be open for business in early 2025 ahead of the Valkyries’ inaugural season.
💰 Fox continues quest to activate FanDuel stake at lower price
This week, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed the company wants to activate its 18.6% stake option in FanDuel. Fox’s piece is worth an estimated $6.5B on the open market, compared to the $4.3B it hopes to pay after it acquired the stake in 2020.
- The price is set to rise 5% every year, and while Fox has six more years to activate its option, it wants to do so sooner rather than later. However, the media conglomerate will need to become a licensed gaming operator before the sale can officially close.
💸 The NWSL’s Washington Spirit inked a first-of-its-kind betting deal with Fanatics Sportsbook yesterday. High rollers.
☀️ The Connecticut Sun have experienced a boost in playoff ticket sale prices as the team is expected to play Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever in the first round.
🎓 The Pac-12 will add four Mountain West schools to its conference in 2026, bringing the number of member schools to six.
🏟️ The NWSL surpassed 1.5M in regular season attendance for the first time in league history last Sunday. A historic day in more ways than one.
🏆 FIFA is in talks to expand its Women’s World Cup tournament from 32 teams to 48 teams, similar to the men’s expansion for the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup.
🎟️ The Northern Super League launched its 2025 season ticket deposit campaign for all six inaugural teams.
⚽ A UK study found 52% of women respondents witnessed or experienced misogynistic treatment at soccer matches, yet 85% didn’t report the abuse over concerns their complaints wouldn’t be taken seriously. Something’s gotta give.
👕 Vintage soccer jersey hub Classic Football Shirts added new strategic investors including recently retired soccer legend Alex Morgan, actor and Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney, and top talent agency Wasserman.
Together With NSL
Want to be a part of the women’s sports revolution? We thought so.
Get in on the proverbial ground floor of the next big thing for women’s sports fans, the Northern Super League (NSL) — Canada’s first and only pro women’s soccer league — by making a $50-per-seat deposit on season tickets with one of the inaugural six trailblazing teams.
- A guaranteed source of inspiration and entertainment for months to come, the NSL is just getting started — but they can’t do it without your support. A league of their own, loading…
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
📺 What to watch
Only Murders in the Building. Counting down to Tuesday every week? Same. The fourth season, which features Angel City FC investor Eva Longoria, has even more mystery.
🎾 What to check out
The Tennis Court, a visual journey through the world’s most stunning tennis venues. From Wimbledon to hidden gems, Nick Pachelli’s book captures the beauty and cultural significance of courts worldwide.
🛍 What to shop
The Vogue x HEAD Collection. Elevate your tennis fashion game with this exclusive collaboration featuring clothing, bags, and rackets in a sleek, classic palette. Game, set, chic.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Dee Lab. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop.